Month: July 2024

UAE reiterates commitment to deepen diaspora relations with Nigeria

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Following the removal of the visa ban by the United Arab Emirates (UAE)on Nigeria, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has visited Ambassador Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, to further strengthen areas of partnership and collaboration mutually beneficial to Nigeria and the UAE. Dabiri-Erewa stated that NiDCOM intend to engage and sensitize Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors of their country of stay and country of origin, to excel in whatever they are doing and never to forget home. She added further “this…

JUST IN: Tinubu appoints Esther Walson-Jack as new Head of Civil Service

Emporium Reporters

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.   The presidential spokesperson,Ajuri Ngelale, announced this in a statement on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.   According to him, Walson-Jack’s appointment will take effect on August 14, 2024.   Ngelale said Folasade Yemi-Esan, the outgoing HoS, is set to retire from the civil service on August 13.   The statement reads, “President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, as Head of the Civil Service of…

BREAKING: Kaduna Assembly hires Femi Falana to prosecute El-Rufai over alleged 423bn fraud

Emporium Reporters

The Kaduna House of Assembly has hired a human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) to prosecute the former governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai corruption. According to Sahara Reprters, Falana will lead a battery of lawyers to begin unravelling the monumental corruption on Thursday in Kaduna. Recall that the lawmakers accused the ex-governor of mismanaging about N423 billion from loans obtained for the state by his administration. The report alleged that the loans were not used for their intended purposes, and in some cases, due process was not followed…

Emporium Reporters

A total of N1.35tn was on Tuesday shared to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils in the country.   The revenue was shared at the July 2024 meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, held in Abuja and chaired by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun.   A communiqué issued by the FAAC stated that the N1.35tn total distributable revenue comprised statutory revenue of N 142.514bn, Value Added Tax revenue of N523.97bn, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N15.69b, Exchange Difference…

JUST IN: Senator Ndume removed as Senate Chief whip

Emporium Reporters

The lawmaker representing Borno South in the Senate, Senator Ali Ndume has been removed as the Senate Chief Whip.   Senator Tahir Monguno has immediately taken over as his replacement.   Ndume’s removal came following an order issued to that effect in a letter written by the National Chairman of the party, Umar Ganduje and National Secretary, Senator Bashir Ajibola   The request, however was put to voice votes by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and was supported by all the APC senators.    

Court Orders Reinstatement of Phillip Shuaibu as Edo Deputy Governor

Emporium Reporters

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday nullified the impeachment of Phillip Shaibu as the Deputy Governor of Edo. Justice James Omotosho, in a judgment, ordered his reinstatement to the office on the grounds that the Edo State House of Assembly failed to comply with due process in the purported impeachment.   Justice Omotosho held that the allegation on which the House of Assembly based the impeachment proceedings was untenable in law and did not constitute gross misconduct.   The judge, therefore, ordered the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police to…

Revisiting Yahaya Bello’s Years In The Confluence State By Abdulmalik Abbas

Lukman Laleye Babalola

Alhaji Yahaha Adoza Bello came into political limelight when he became the Governor of Kogi state under a most unanticipated circumstances following the sudden death of Prince Abubakar Audu who was coasting home to victory as the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2016.   Yahaya Bello’s emergence as replacement for Prince Audu was akin to the invocation of Doctrine of Necessity because some schools of thoughts had posisted that Prince Audu’s running mate Rt Hon James Faleke should ordinarily and automatically assumed the governorship candidatacy .…

NNPC’s Operations: Interrogating “opacity” tag and other matters By Olufemi Soneye

Lukman Laleye Babalola

I have read the story published by Businessday newspaper in its edition of 16th July, 2024 with the headline: “‘World’s Most Opaque Company’ Stench Trails NNPC Secret Deals”. As the spokesperson of the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, I would have ignored the story, which was basically a rehash of false allegations that were rooted in ignorance. To be sure, the allegations, in their various shapes and dimensions, have, over the years, been proved to be untrue. But I am compelled to reply for two reasons. First, I am…

Echono; Matching Words and Actions At TETFUND, BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF

Emporium Reporters

The appointment of Arc Sunny Echono as Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), two years down the line has attracted commendation particularly going from his versed experience in policy, administration and politics that had been the bane of development across the country.   Saddling him at this critical point in time with the management of infrastructure, research among other demanding issues at the Nigerian universities was a testament of his grounded experience and background in all ramifications.   Having rose to the top echelon of the civil service to…

Tackling the Menace of Abandoned Projects: Peter Mbah’s Example By Mon-Charles Egbo

Emporium Reporters

Each time the issue of cutting costs is governance is raised, most attentions go to the public officials’ salaries and allowances, including their retinue of aides and vehicles. Another popular area of focus is the Steve Orosonya Report which recommended pruning down the number of ministerial departments and agencies by scrapping or merging some of them. No doubt, these two instances are valid, especially given the prevailing dire economic situation in Nigeria. But there is yet another critical aspect that is mostly overlooked. That is the menace of abandoned projects.…